Alberta reporting two probable cases of mystery liver disease in patients under 16. "So we wonder whether, perhaps, it's co-infection with AAV2 and an adenovirus, in kids that have this special gene, that makes them more susceptible to getting these viruses and having an abnormal immune response to them." "Eight of the nine kids had this special gene … whereas in the background in Scotland, it's only present in 15.6 per cent," said one of the Glasgow study's authors, Antonia Ho, a clinical senior lecturer at MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. The Scottish team also noted the majority of children impacted shared a specific gene, DRB1-0401. The findings suggest co-infection with two viruses at once - AAV2, plus an adenovirus or, in some cases, a herpes virus - could be triggering hepatitis in certain kids. Researchers in both regions identified high levels of AAV2 in blood samples taken from young patients with unexplained hepatitis and indications of other viral infections. The teams looked at small numbers of children who suffered from liver inflammation which wasn't caused by the obvious culprits, such as the usual family of hepatitis viruses, alongside healthy control subjects. The preprint studies are from research teams in London and Glasgow, and not yet formally published or peer-reviewed. In both papers, an unusual virus called adeno-associated virus-2 (AAV2) is implicated as one aspect of a complex mechanism that might be sparking rare and serious liver issues, including two dozen cases this year among Canadian children. As scientists around the world are racing to understand what caused a spate of so-far unexplained cases of hepatitis in children - including some who needed liver transplants - two new U.K.
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